Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

3-game playoffs start tonight at Fenway

The Twins come in for three games tonight, and this is the one and only chance the Red Sox will have to impact the 2006 postseason. What the Red Sox can do is dent the hopes of the Twins, and help out Detroit and Chicago. The Red Sox should treat these next three nights like their own playoffs, because it’s the only real taste they’ll have for the rest of the year.

Weird to be spoilers, isn’t it? As Mark Loretta said the other night, you take motivation anywhere you can get it.

The Red Sox have their top three pitchers on the mound — Wakefield, Schilling and Beckett. And it will be fun to watch Santana pitch on Thursday night.

I think these games will be entertaining. Maybe Manny will even play. Who knows.

After the Twins series, the Red Sox have the battle for second place this weekend in Toronto. Four games should go a long way toward determining who finishes second in the AL East.

Once the Blue Jays series is over, there won’t be much drama to watch. You’re looking at two games against the Devil Rays and three against the Orioles. But those of us who just love baseball will still find something interesting. For instance, can Pedroia play second next year? Is David Murphy ready? As Craig Hansen taken a leap forward since his latest stint at Pawtucket?

Talk to you later,

Ian.

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85 Comments

I think it’s going to be a great series this series. I’m loving the fact that we can deeply impact the outcome of pretty much everything and Detroit still has two games against the White Sox that can dash their hopes as well. :) Sorry, I don’t like the White Sox. I would prefer it be anyone but them going to the postseason.

As for Dustin, David, and Craig – I’m loving what I’ve been seeing. Craig has really stepped it up a bunch (and his baby blues can look into the camera any time, any day), David Murphy has definitely given me hope, and Dustin is earning his place in the line up.

Vince, Vince, Vince. Do you honestly put any credibility on polls and rankings, especially ones done by Sports Illustrated or ESPN? These are popularity contests, and have no meaning. I’m a Steelers fan, and they were in the top spot of the power poll until last night. I’m also an Ohio State fan, as you know, and it means little or nothing right now that they are number one. So many teams are ranked for just their name, and not for actually how good they are. This baseball power poll is no different. We’ll see who is standing after the ALDS. That is what matters, not any statistics or power polls.

I wouldn’t base my life on polls or rankings because I tend to disagree about them. the fact of the matter is I have formed an opinion about the yankees as a team and more specifically pitching and these rankings which are still based on SOMETHING (ESPN does not consider the yankees their favorite team generally, i think that much is obvious) and happen to support my point. With the tigers reeling, the twins psychologically in a rut vs the yankees and without liriano giving them one pitcher was a probable shot at winning when he takes the mound and the A’s with a poor offense and playing better than they are with their usual september rush, I have full faith in the yankees this year….which is a big improvement because you can find that i said the yankees would make the playoffs but that would be it before the asb and the signing of abreu, the comeback of matsui, the dominance of wang and the improvement of johnson and the aquisition of bruney

and you can argue that bruney and wang (even though he started in a postseason game last year) have not even been tested yet, but then you have to apply the same logic to virtually all of the minnesota twins and detroit tigers.

Why does yankeeboy have to continue to preach this ****. they are supposed to win aren’t they, abrue, jeter, giambi, a-knob, johnson, sheffield, mussina, mariano, weren’t all these high priced players supposed to guaruntee post season success? If they don’t win, thats the story! Sox need revenge on the twins for that series before the interleague play started. I’m hoping for a sweep, the whitesox continue to fall, and the twins go on to lose out the season…stuff dreams are made of.

Hey there all!! Reading the posts, I see that things are pretty sedate compared to yesterday and Sunday night!!
Well, The days are dwindling for baseball, and soon (sooner for some of us) we’ll be counting the days till the season starts again. Being a Sox fan I’m used to this, I don’t like it by any means, but I’ve grown used to it!!lol…

I can watch baseball for the rest of the season and not increase my blood pressure or have a Mylocardial Infarction (sp). No cardiologist will make money off me due to my RedSox this year.

I hope we can make a difference in the race elsewhere as Ian pointed out. Not sure who I’d like to see in there in the central, guess I’ve got some research to do.

For those of you who read about my interviews, i passed my 2 tests for Fire Dispatch and now have my Oral Boards scheduled for next week, as well as a test for Public Safety Aide tomorrow morning!!! PLEASE wish me luck, think good thoughts and if you pray please put one in there for me!!!!

I do agree, dreinbold. Though teams like the Red Sox, White Sox, Mets and even the Angels have extensive payrolls, they have different expectations than the Yankees, since the Yankees have an unlimited payroll and are not restrained by salaries.

For every team but the Yankees, reaching the playoffs is the mark of a successful season. For the Yankees, their success is based on winning the World Series. If they don’t win it all, with all of the tools at their disposal, their season is not a complete success. The Yankees have no excuse for not winning it all. However, as we have seen, it’s not all about who is best on paper. It is about who is playing best at the end of the season, and who has the best pitching. The Yankees have a strong team, but their pitching is mediocre, which will haunt them in the playoffs.

I think that the Sox can compete with the Yankees, since the Sox payroll is not exactly on a level with San Diego and Florida. However, the Sox (and every other team) cannot afford to make mistakes with trades and free agent signings like the Yankees can. That’s not an excuse; it is just reality in the present economic state of baseball. Thus the reason I think there should be a salary cap, which will likely not happen.

Fortunately, the Sox have built a strong farm system, which will bolster the team next year and beyond. It is critical that Epstein make the right trades and free agent signings so next season we can be in the hunt for another World Series title, and not facing another September like this one.

I am encouraged by guys like Kason Gabbard and Kyle Snyder, who weren’t really part of the Sox future until the second half of this season. Top prospects like Pedroia and Murphy look promising as well. It will be interesting to see how Devern Hansack pitches these final two weeks, too.

Jen, I really don’t think so, although I think that Jermain Dye is a great player, and deserves MVP consideration. I do know that I DON’T WANT the Yankees in the WS,nothing personal Vince/Vik, just the nature of the beast. I just need to so some reading.

As a fan, I still have hope, too. The Sox need a sweep of the Twins, the White Sox to continue their downslide, and the Twins to somehow fall apart – all while the Sox winning games without Papelbon and Manny. It is very unlikely, but still possible. I think the Twins and A’s are poised to win the AL. I can see one of them winning the World Series.

On another note, did anyone hear about the Dodgers-Padres game last night. The Dodgers hit four home runs to tie the game in the ninth and then they were down a run in the 10th and Nomar hit a two-run dinger to win it. I’m rooting for the Padres to win the NL, since they have so many former Sox players. Losing a game like that, when they could have gone up 1 1/2 but now are down a half-game, is mentally demoralizing. Still, I think the Padres are a better team than LA.

jeff that is not necessarily true, all teams have a limit to their payroll, hence why the yankees decided to start keeping their farm and did not go after carlos beltran when he was available. They do have a limit and now they are starting to cut back by molding guys like hughes and clippard and brentcox (they are following the team until the playoffs for experience) into being the future. Yes, the yankees can escape some mistakes and go after some guys others can not, but the sox have the money and choose not to spend it, not only have the yankees made the most money in baseball, but they decide to spend it too

Carolina, I do agree that right now Ohio State is the best team in college football. They have tests ahead in Penn State, Iowa and Michigan State – and, of course, Michigan – but I can see them running the table. Michigan State and Michigan look better than expected, so that makes the Big Ten more interesting this season.

In the AL, it will be interesting to see if the Tigers can hang on. If they can, they have the pitching to win the World Series. The Marlins had a young staff when they knocked off the Yankees, so I don’t think youth is a factor. They have a solid bullpen as well, which is crucial. Really, the AL and NL are wide open. There is no clear dominant team in either league, so every team has a legitimate chance.

Vince, I do agree that the Yankees are doing well to change their strategy and build a strong farm system because signing free agents is hit or miss. It is better to groom your own players than have to sign big money guys to fill holes, especially when you don’t know how they will perform. The Sox do choose to spend their money. They don’t have the ame revenues as the Yankees. Yankee Stadium is much larger and the Yankees get more revenue from their network deals. You are right, Steinbrenner chooses to spend more money than other owners, but other owners don’t have the same luxuries as Steinbrenner. He likely couldn’t do what he has done with the Yankees if he was owner of the Indians, Brewers, Tigers or even the Red Sox.

and in that sense in a city liek boston with, what 2 million people with a stadium that holds 30,000+, and a team with 1 ws in a very long time (it doesn’t need repeating) and inconsistant but respectable playoff appearences, the redsox have an extraudinary payroll….which is in part thanks to the great and loyal fans they have, and also makes their fans seem hypocritical when they preach about payroll

That’s the point I am making, Vince. Steinbrenner has an advantage being the owner of a historic team in one of the largest cities in the world. NYC’s prominence is an advantage for having more revenue to spend and build a team on an ongoing basis. Though Boston is not a small market team, it still cannot use the same strategies as the Yankees, that is why the farm system and cautious trades and free agent signings are vital. And that is why teams like Oakland and Minnesota have to employ different strategies as well. Usually, Boston, Minnesota and Oakland are in the hunt for a World Series title, so they are doing things right. Still, the Yankees will always have a great advantage because of their geography, so they will have higher expectations.

I don’t like to bring up the payroll advantage that the Yankees have, because obviously it hasn’t helped them since 2000. And baseball is a game where you can expect the unexpected. It is not always the best team who wins the World Series, but the team that is playing the best in October. Really, the last time one team had a huge advantage over another in the World Series was when the Yankees swept the Padres. Still, the Yankees have no excuse for not winning the World Series when they can bring in whoever they want.

well yes I agree they have higher expectations, but that is different from when people blame payroll and try to tarnish anything the yankees accomplish just because they have a successful history and a convenient location

just like they can bring in anybody onto the yankees not everybody can play on the yankees. That is a major issue, not everybody is cut out for NY and I think that has been made very obvious in recent years, so that is a catch 22. There are plenty of reasons teams, even the yankees don’t win the world series, such as injuries for example. It is like saying with the redsox having the 2nd highest payroll in baseball, there is no reason they should not at least win the wildcard every year…obviously circumstances arise

Yankeemm – it is not like that at all. If you wanted to follow that logic, you would add up the payroll for every team in the league, and find out what percentage the Red Sox constitutes of that. That way you are taking into account their payroll and not just their “second highest payroll in the league”. As mentioned before, the Red Sox have 60% of the Yankees payroll and so have less chance of winning than just every second year. Look at the money, not just the rankings of highest, second highest, etc..

right, but comparatively they have over 8 times the amount of the marlins and other small market clubs, either way 2nd place is 2nd place and with the mets being third it is that much more of difference with the sox in the al compared to the team behind them in payroll

This is definitely NOT looking good for us to play the “SPOILER ROLE”!!, I just want the Sox to play well, which they aren’t.
I think it would be stretching it to say I’d make it til the end of the game tonight, don’t know why but I’m exhausted today…

Yes, Red Sox do have a much higher payroll than the Marlins. But 2nd place is not just 2nd place, that is the point I am making. You need to multiply the Yankee payroll by 60% to get to the next team below them i.e. Sox. If you multiply the Sox payroll by 60%, you find 14 teams with this amount or higher. With the way your argument works, the Yankees could have a payroll of $100 billion and the Red Sox would still be second in rankings so should have the same chance as before.

the point im making is we make the playoffs every year with our very high and deserving payroll (when you factor in the fact we make the playoffs every year and have the geographical location to have the highest payroll in baseball along with the stadium and stadium prices) if you want to argue payroll than the sox are more underachieving for not making the playoffs every year, regardless of how much mroe money in payroll they have than the other teams because they still have more and are ranked 2nd. The payroll argument has so many holes in it it is a ridiculous and tired argument to begin with

it might have been a legitimate argument in say, 2002 or maybe 2003….I would say 2004 and 2005 except the sox basically spent the same amount of money….but now? The yankees are using their farm to win games with cano having the most rbi’s of anybody over the last 45 games or so, with cabrera being among the leaders in outfield assists and swinging a clutch bat, with wang having 17 wins and being in a tie for the team lead,with posada being dominant in throwing out base runners and putting up a 20 hr season with jeter being mvp caliber, with bernie being a clutch bat all season and huge in filling holes, with rivera having 2-3 blown saves all season and with developing hughes tabada brentcox clippard etc.

So what do you want from them? you can’t trim payroll until contracts are up

Except it’s not me who’s making the ridiculous and tired payroll argument. It’s you who has brought this up, by bringing up the fact that the Red Sox have the second highest payroll in the league (why is bringing this fact up not considered ridiculous and tired?). All I am saying is that looking at the Red Sox payroll as the second highest payroll and drawing conclusions from that alone is spurious to say the least. So to clarify, you are the one talking about under achieving, other payroll related issues. All I am doing is correcting what you brought up.

Why does yankeeboy have to continue to preach this ****. they are supposed to win aren’t they, abrue, jeter, giambi, a-knob, johnson, sheffield, mussina, mariano, weren’t all these high priced players supposed to guaruntee post season success? If they don’t win, thats the story! Sox need revenge on the twins for that series before the interleague play started. I’m hoping for a sweep, the whitesox continue to fall, and the twins go on to lose out the season…stuff dreams are made of.

perhaps scrolling up would pay off…..you will never see me ever attack another team’s payroll except the twins and royals because their owners are crooks and are robbing their fanbases of potentially better teams

“The payroll argument has so many holes in it it is a ridiculous and tired argument to begin with” was surely directed at me, no? If so, I am just telling you that I am not making such an argument.
As for the naming of people from the arms race, that does not prove your argument. There was still a massive gulf in payroll between the teams. I am not using excuses or talking about the Sox as a small market team or anything else. I am saying what you said in relation to the payrolls of 04 and 05 is wrong.

Man, I know that Arielle’s favorite player is Kapler, and I know that Kapler does a lot for service to communities, but he hasn’t done anything at all for the Sox since he’s been back. I see him going at the end of the year. The last 5-6 games when they’ve pulled Trot due to a lefty coming in, he’s done nothing. ****, Trot could (and has, alot,pop up too, but we’d still have a better right fielder in. Sorry Gabe.

brendan that is why i said the argument was valid in 02 and 03 when the yankees made the push in payroll and paid extra due to the influx of salaries at the time…04 and 05 they spent pretty much the same amount of money or at least received the same amount of talent, which was my argument. I pasted what I did because you accused me of starting the payroll argument which I clearly didn’t, i never once said you started it. If we are both big market ball clubs than stop arguing about the payroll, we deserve a higher payroll than you and every other team in baseball because we get more revenue through television, merchandise, attendance, vendors, playoff tickets, world series championships, a willing to spend owner etc.

and not to mention, the yankees have more home grown players on their team (pre september callups and the injuries) so I don’t see where this argument is going anyway. Stick to the results on the field

yankeemm – I am not sure now if you are arguing with me or if you are arguing with somebody else so. I am not arguing payroll – I am arguing against your distorted way of looking at the payroll. As for saying the Yankees have more home grown players, I never even brought that up (perhaps you are writing back to something way up the page). Finally, saying “stick to the results on the field” is the most risible comment of all. Does the better record of the Yankees mean you can make up any old argument? Like the Yankees having the same payroll for 04 and 05? The Yankees payroll was 50 mm greater than the Sox in 04.

Hey V, what kind of job did you land?? I’ve got a test for yet ANOTHER city job tomorrow;Public Safety Aide. I have the Oral Boards for Fire Dispatch next Wednesday. I’m a BIT nervous about that. Other than that I’m okay. How are classes going?? You know that problem that I told you about with my email? I re-sent what I lost and everything seems to be fine now. I wonder where the cannon is tonight? Anyway, I lost the feed just before the Twins added another run, and since I’m so tired I think I’ll just call it a night!! I’ll talk to you tomorrow. G’night Nationers and you Vince.

right, but what was it in 00 when they were winning the world series? My way of looking at the payroll is not distorted, 130 million is not small market, it is large market, yes it is 70 million less than the yankees, but it is still the 2nd most in baseball and even if it is in the range of 14 other teams that still leaves half of baseball with substantially less money than the sox so i don’t get why sox fans ever want to argue payroll when it is complete hypocracy?

I brought up homegrown players because it proves the yankees don’t just buy players anymore, they are developing them and have less “bought” players on their roster than the sox did this year……i also don’t know what “risible” means, but I assume it was a typo. I didn’t ever say the yankees had the same payroll as the sox did in 04 and 05 i said they spent the same amount, but i also said the years before that they had a higher payroll, so if one has a higher payroll and spends the same as another, they will still have a higher payroll, nobody is denying that, but both teams spent and bought players over those years.

ellen, i work for the quinnipiac polling institute, we do mostly surveys involving ct, ny, nj, florida and ohio but occasionally national ones as well, they are actually a pretty big source of statistical analysis when it comes to politics. Good luck with everything, i’m sure you’ll be fine…i got your email and I read it, hopefully the cannon was destroyed, and don’t worry, it was probably good you lost the feed, the sox lost.

Your view of payroll was distorted because you left it just at “they have the second highest payroll in baseball”. I can think of nothing I have said within this post relating to payroll that is hypocritical. I am sure even you will admit that saying the Yankees and Red Sox spent the same in a year is completely misleading as it implies the same amount on spent by both teams over the year. Instead what you are saying is they spent the same on their new players, but the Yankees were already $70mm up on payroll.

o ok, i tried looking it up but my computer is wireless and slow right now so the page isn’t loading. I generally hate commenting whent here is a word I don’t understand but I had no choice….Yes, what I am saying is the last few years both teams have spent the same amount and stocked their teams with free agents. Now they are both starting to use their farms more again, and the yankees had more prospects to help them to success this year. Yes, the yankees had a higher payroll and still do, and they also deserve a higher payroll for previously stated reasons that are consistantly overlooked. The point is, yes they have the highest payroll but they didn’t have an astronomical payroll or a big degree of seperation from other teams when they won their rings, so they deserved to spend what they wanted to from their winning

The only reason the sox have a high payroll is to keep somewhat up with the yankees. Look at the Blue Jays, they are trying to compete with both teams just to get fans at the games they have been increasing payroll the past few seasons and have announced another increase for next year. Otherwise they will always finish 3-4-5. Not fair for anyone in the division that can’t keep pace with the Yankees. It’s like the season’s over before its begun for most teams. Makes it hard to promote your team every year when the only hope is the wild card. That’s corporate ball, not what sport and competition was supposed to be about. Their should be a hard cap in baseball, then everybody has the same shot. That’s when the game would be about drafting properly and building the farm system. Best TEAM all around wins…managers and scouts all the way thru the system would have a greater impact on the game. Not about deep pockets, but about the sport and the game of baseball as we all grew up knowing as kids. Either that or they should increase the amount of teams making it to post season.

Ellen, regarding Kapler, I could see him staying as a backup outfielder, especially if both Manny and Trot are gone next year (both possible). I really like Kapler, mainly for his defense and attitude, but I don’t see him as a Sox starting outfielder.

Spoiler role? You can have it, as far as I’m concerned. If the players can get motivated by it I guess it’s a good thing, but it does nothing to enhance my enjoyment of watching a ball game.

I’m headed up to Toronto for the Saturday and Sunday games against the Jays. Should be an interesting experience, especially if the roof is closed and the place is half empty. On the plus side, we should be able to sit just about anywhere we want, and maybe I can even get a foul ball without getting trampled. Call me a geek if you will, but I’ve never gotten a foul ball from a Major League game, and I think it would be neat. Even better if I could get it autographed.

And yes ctzmom, I find it almost a little surreal that there is so much talk about the Yankees and by Yankee fans on this blog, but at least most of them are polite about it. And given the two teams’ history with each other, I guess it’s not really that surprising.

I would just like to point out that when I first came to this blog it was getting about 20-40 comments on each thread. Since me and Vik, mainly, started commenting the conversations have increased and some of these posts were in the hundreds. Whether you hate me as a blogger, personally, or as a yankee fan, we have improved this blog. You don’t like talk about the yankees on this blog? Try talking about the redsox. Ever since the division was done for this season the comments have fallen apart and nobody seems to want to go in depth about anything. We are doing a better job as yankee fans on the redsox blog keeping the conversation going, than most sox fans are.

The yankees are not the only reason the redsox have been spending money, the 100 million dollar increase in revenue might have something to do with it…oh, but henry has the money to buy things in nascar, but doesn’t have the money to increase the sox payroll so everybody stops whining about the yankees? Yeah, right.

Vince, while most people – myself included – have no problem with you and Vik posting here, you are giving yourself too much credit if you think your presence has increased postings.

This blog is still fairly new and unknown, and many Sox fans are not even aware of it. I only found out about it during the summer when I subscribed to MLB.tv.

Red Sox fans are arguably the most die-hard, devoted and knowledgeable fans about the team and the game. They don’t need encouragement or instigation from Yankees fans to evoke opinions. As you can see from Ian’s posts in the last few weeks, numbers have been down. That is related to the fact that the Sox fell out of the race, and the devoted Sox bloggers were separated from the bandwagon Sox bloggers.

Next season, when the Sox have a team that is a World Series contender, numbers will be up as more people are introduced to MLB.tv and thus the blog, like I was. Believe me, though I enjoy debating with you, your presence and Vik’s presence does not determine whether I post on this blog. I’m sure that sentiment is echoed by every devoted Sox fan who is a regular.

I was also puzzled about John Henry’s bid for a NASCAR team when I read the article in the Globe. It is his money, so he can do what he pleases with it. However, he has no excuse not to spend whatever it takes to bring in some big names like Andruw Jones, Zito and Schmidt and a trade for a big name closer. If he doesn’t, then he is a hypocrite.

By the way, Vince. Just about every post I make has to do about the Red Sox, and what I think they should and shouldn’t do for the remainder of this season and beyond. Since this is a Red Sox fan blog, Sox fans like talking, venting and debating about the Sox, and sharing opinions with each other about the Yankees. I don’t post on the Yankees fan blog because – though I can hold my own with anyone on baseball knowledge and debating – I respect the fact that it is a Yankees fan blog and it exists for Yankees fan to communicate, vent and debate with each other about the Yankees, and talk amongst themselves about the Red Sox. Like I said, as die-hard of a fan as I am, I only found out about this blog during the summer. The numbers will increase next season, especially if the Sox are as good as they should be. After all, even though there are legions of devoted Sox fans around the country – and not just in the Northeast – a fraction of those fans are bloggers, and a fraction of those bloggers want to express their views when the Sox are amid a pennant race. I just happen to be the type of fan who follows my teams closely regardless of how they are doing.

OK. Gotta get back to my deadlines. Just a few more comments. Regarding Doug Mirabelli, I am surpised that Towers made that conversation public. I can understand why Mirabelli would want out of San Diego once they acquired Piazza, and I understand why the Padres would rather have Piazza than Mirabelli. I would rather the Sox have Piazza than Mirabelli. Though I think that Mirabelli is a good defensive backup catcher, we need more offense from that position. Next season, Varitek will likely catch fewer games. Hopefully, George Kottaras will prove himself ready in spring training. He has some pop in his bat, and he can catch the knuckleball, or so I’ve read.

I am one Sox fan who hopes that we sign Julio Lugo – as a second baseman, not a shortstop. He has speed, typically hits for average and has pop in his bat. If the Sox add someone like Andruw Jones, I think we can afford to play Lugo at second and give Pedroia a shot at shortstop. If I had to choose between signing Loretta and A Gonz, I would sign Loretta. I do realize the A Gonz is the best defensive shortstop the Sox have had in recent times, but I just think we need more offensive production, and I think the Pedroia can provide that, and still give the Sox a solid defensive shortstop.

Anyone hear or read about Giambi blasting A-Rod to Torre? Something about quit using kid gloves on him and something about A-Rod being in some sort of false confidence state. I briefly heard it on the news so I can’t say this for sure, but who’s self admitted Mr. steriod himself Giambi (cheater) saying who has a false confidence? A-Rod claims he’s having a good year, and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about..lol Just before the playoffs…gotta love it.

jeff there is a difference between coming to the blog because of me and vik and comments increasing because of me and vik. If for nothing else, debating us IS increasing the traffic whether you choose to credit us or not. For the simple fact that by arguing with us, it is extra comments being made, we are increasing the comments….It may very well have nothing to do with me, Vik, or anything else, but by pure logic, that is what has happened. I said the comments have gone down due to the sox falling out of contention, but I have followed this blog longer than you have and when I came here and the sox were in first place, there were a decent amount of regulars, when me and vik came, the comments skyrocketed, a couple of times breaking 1000….It makes less sense that all of a sudden in the same post numerous new people with identical email addresses found this blog simultaneously due to the newness of redsox blogging, than some people with opposing views found the blog and debate caused the comments to increase.

In no way is this a shot at sox fans, the sox team or am I calling the redsox fan base weak spirited, dumb, or any other negative connotation, I am simply saying that despite my extreme hatred for the redsox and love for the yankees, i am every much a part of this blog as any other die hard sox fan is on here and I contribute as much, whether you agree with my views or not. So for someone to try and tell me they are tired of me? I’m not buying it. When I came here it was to learn the opposing views, to learn about the sox farm team, the in depth analysis of their players, the stories I would not otherwise get on a yankee blog where the focus is mainly, the yankees, something I already know a significant amount about. I stick by that and I continue to learn through debate, through observation and through predictions and opinions more about the enemy and more about baseball, both economically and otherwise each day. If anybody here wanted to argue civilized on the yankee blog, like I tend to do here, be my guess, they will accept you, I am sure of it. However, if you want to pull a fagan or go on there blasting the yankees for their payroll or venting frustrations about how we by rings, then don’t expect a comfortable welcome, it is that simple.

At the top of this site it says “mlb blogs” and “mlb.com” it doesn’t say “redsox blog for redsox fans”, I come here to talk baseball and it tends to be about the sox or yankees seeing as a redsox beat writer authors it, but by no means does a sox beat writer leading this blog mean it is only for sox fans or that yankee fans aren’t welcome.

yes, giambi apparently told torre that a rod more or less shouldn’t be babied with his struggles and torre needs to more or less kick his *** into gear….constructive criticism, other reports say giambi more or less was guiding a rod the entire time to try and keep him focused….both parties have publically said they did not interpret their actions as attacking a rod, and more or less verducci wrote it that way…….much like how many sox fans perceive the ortiz comments about jeter

Vince, I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you, Vik and any other civilized Yankees fan are not welcome on this blog. Or maybe you are referring to someone else on this blog who might have said they are tired of your postings. I don’t mind views and debate from the other side, as long as it is not Fagan-like. The point I am making is that this blog will thrive regardless of whether Yankees fans post inciteful or even intelligent comments. Blogging is still relatively new, and a lot of Sox fans likely do not even know this blog exists. I expect there will be growing numbers on the Sox blog starting next season. Hopefully, people continue to post during the off-season, since that is always an exciting time because of the anticipation of what moves your team will make to bolster the roster. One final point, when you are a Yankees fan posting on this blog when the Yankees are doing well and the Sox are struggling, you are going to get negative feedback. That is what would happen if the situation was reversed, and I was doing the same thing on the Yankees blog. I’m not sure who told you they were tired of your postings, but that is likely the reason for their comment about you. Red Sox fans are no different than Yankees fans. We expect our team to be a winner each year, and when seasons like this arise when they don’t make the playoffs, it causes frustration. Some of the comments you make regarding the Sox are viable, and others are not. Sox fans have a different reaction when debating about the team with other Sox fan versus debating about the team with Yankees fans.

It’s like the brother scenario. I can call my brother names, and cirticize him, but when someone outside of the family does the same thing, that evokes a negative response from me towards that person. Sox fans on this blog will react different to your criticism about the team than my criticism, since I am a Sox fan and you are a Yankees fan.

That said, your comments are welcome, but as I mentioned, this blog will thrive as more Sox fans learn about it. It is not dependent on assinine posts from deadbeats like Fagan, or entries from Yankees fans. Yet when Yankees fans make posts, of course that will evoke a reaction because it’s the Red Sox-Yankees. No matter what city or state you are in, if there are Red Sox and Yankees fans at the same table, there is bound to be a debate.

Well, the nail is officially in the coffin for the Sox post-season hopes, as slim as they were. I thought they would win these games against the Twins and make it interesting. It is nice to see Pedroia starting to hit. I hope the Sox have a spot at second or short for him next season. I also hope that they get rid of Kapler and keep Murphy as the fourth outfielder next year. So it would be nice to see Pedroia and Murphy in the lineup on a regular basis for the remainder of the season.

Although I hate the Yankees, I do enjoy the back and forth comments especially since the seasons tanked, and I enjoy your sense of humour…more or less…

Awesome for Ortiz, he deserves the record and I’m sure it will be all his soon. Too bad Hanson had to be the one getting roughed up tonight. Got to hand it to the Twins, they just keep plugging away…getting the pitching when needed to. Hopefully Beckett can stop the sweep against Santana.

btw, I think in 2004 we all knew how close the sox were in the clubhouse…..I doubt any of u watched the yankees celebrate in the clubhouse, but I have watched this happen 10 times now, this team is like the 96 yankees, they are no longer the robots they have been stereotyped as before….they are close and they have fun….sorry, just thought i should point it out, i don’t know if it means anything, but this is a different yankee team, the injuries may have been a blessing, much like it could be for the sox next year tha now they get to see their young players on the playing field

I just find it a bit strange that Yankee fans are spending so much time here. Yes, it’s MLBlogs, but this particular blog is described as “Short hops and hard knocks with a Red Sox beat writer.”

As I’ve said many times, I welcome anyone who wants to dicuss baseball without making it personal.

But I think MLB.com set up the blogs for fans to discuss their favorite teams. (Notice how there are 30 blogs, one for each team?) Of course, that doesn’t mean fans of other teams shouldn’t be allowed to post here. But when you frequent the blog that is about a certain team, you expect most of the posts to be from fans of that team.

While the amount of posts has certainly increased, the tone and subject matter have definitely changed. It’s not for me to say whether those things have changed for the better or for the worse, but debating with Yankee fans is definitely different than commiserating or celebrating with fellow Sox fans.

And lastly, do you really think it’s appropriate to take credit for increasing the discussion when about half the posts are yours and Vik’s?

yes to the last question and I am pretty sure every comment I make is in regard to the redsox or defending the yankees, so i don’t really see how it is any different if i post about it then anybody else….unless ur content posting inaccurate things about the yankees?

that said, i doubt i’ll be posing much anymore on this blog for the rest of the season, this is now a time where i have to remain with the fans who have something to watch in october, nothing against any of you, i like most of you, but i think you all understand it makes no sense for me to remain here with the state of the two teams currently…..jen,jeff ellen, other people I talk to more often, feel free to continue emailing me and that goes for anybody who wants to discuss baseball or whatever u want, i’ll still talk, have a painless next couple of weeks guys and girls

The season did not turn out well for the Red Sox. However, it is best to take something positive out of the season. Next year will be anew for them and I am ocnfident the Red Sox will host a competitive and good team.

For start, a team builds from the ownership. The ownership must start with a commitment to be involved with the team, and its success. It must also stay true to fans, and promise to build a team with promise. It needs to spend money as necessary and make decisions as need be.

Second, the general manager has much to do. It starts with organizational policy and goals–how to improve scouting, how much emphasis on farm development and whom to develop, what free agents to buy and what kind of money should be allocated where. All though organizational basics broke down this past season and much fix is needed. On the field, pitching above all should be major focus, and some bats are needed. It will be a busy offseason.

Third, the manager has done quite well enduring such a bleak season. Francona has suffered personally and he needs to do better next year. He needs to be more of a forceful presence and push players harder. He needs to foster a greater chemistry, hopefully with remaining players and new ones. He needs to get creative with ball game and employ more ways to win, including small ball. And he needs to get an honest knowledge on his players, and whom to trust.

Fourth, the players need to change and adjust to all. The few players from 2004 need to continue and revive a clubhouse dead from the years. The players need to work harder and give more of their soul to the team. The players need to worry less about contracts but more on playing game, and most importantly, having fun. And the players need to believe in each other.

Lastly, the fans need to be critical of the team but forgiving as well. This year is horrible, and much blame deserves to go around. But the fans should support their team and give their continued loyalty. The fans should not be complacent, and push for positive changes. They should play a major role next season and continue to be a benefactor for the team.

Wish for a good last days, and although the Sox are out of it, October baseball is always exciting and we have seen many great postseasons (2004, 2002, 2001, 1997 etc..). This year is a tough one to swallow, at least the lessons will make the year valuable.

Thomas, I agree with the basic elements of your post. The fact is, when you’re a true fan, seasons like this are more disappointing, and seasons when they reach the playoffs and neyond are even sweeter. I have every bit of faith that the Sox will be much better next season. Ego alone should lead Henry to open more of his wallet so he isn’t second fiddle to Steinbrenner. As a Sox fan, I am glad we have built a solid farm system, but I expect that a guy with the financial means of Henry go out and bring in a big name pitcher, bolster the bullpen with some reliable veterans, bring in a more productive center fielder and a big bat for first or third (keep Youkilis, since he can play both corner spots). I will be very disappointed if this off-season is not very active in a productive way for the Sox.

I would hope the Sox are very active too this offseason. They would need major changes and overhaul, even changes and adjustments from the roots of their system. Obvious needs are one-two proven starters, a closer perhaps, some solid arms in bullpen and lefties, one or two outfielders, Manny saga, infielders, and more quality bench players. It will be a busy offseason. And a lot of kids and rookies to consider too. No time for gorilla costume Trick-or-Treats at Halloween.

I know that it has been a disappointing end to the season, but I wish that the regulars on this blog would continue to post. Hopefully, people continue to post even in the off-season, especially since it will be an active one.

I’ll be posting, don’t worry. Keep it alive and keep watch on playoffs. Tomorrow shall be treat, since I can catch a game from Fenway Park on TV, and nice to see Santana vs. Beckett duel (hopefully). I plan to go the Boston Sept 29-Oct 2 weekend, so might get a walk-in ticket?

Good evening Nationers and Vince/Vik!
Really happy that Papi got to 50, sad that in came within a loss. Yet another!!

I keep hoping that we’re going to end the season a bit more respectably than where we are at this moment, but time is, unfortunately, running out.

As far as the Vince/Vik, growing blog contraversy(sp), I know that Vik and I had some not quite civil exchanges much earlier this season, but I think that is in the past. I enjoy his point of view. as far as Vince?? Well, that’s another story!LOLOLOL! I really enjoy the time he puts into the stas he comes up with, I’ve learned a lot from him regarding farm teams, revenue and payroll, etc this year. Hey Vince, what happened to the RedSox Fan girlfriend(?) from earlier this year (That seems forever ago we first talked about that)?

I think that with one big exception, we have had a great group of bloggers; some stat lovers, some just like to just hope and speculate, some who do both.

Regardless, as I said for the most part we’ve had fun.

I have a ?, Since this is my first year on the blog I need to know, does the blog continue during the off season?? I need to be updated and have somewhere to release my frustration being that there will be no baseball, until March. Oh God NO!!!!

Well, away from baseball for a second, if y’all don’t mind. I passed the test for the City today and I’m scheduled for The Oral Interview on Oct 2. I’m nervous but psyched!! The 2nd test passed and the 2nd interview scheduled. Wish me luck!!

I’m up late working on a magazine feature, and I thought I would take a moment to tell you about my new blog. I will still be posting to this blog on a regular basis – even in the off-season – but I have created my personal Red Sox blog called Bosox Banter (www.bosox-banter.blogspot.com). I will add graphics and links (including a link to this blog) in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I will make daily posts, and at least 2-3 posts a week during the off-season. Everyone who posts on this blog is welcome, as are Yankee fans like Vince and Vik. Also, Vince and I are in the midst of creating a Red Sox-Yankees web site/blog that will debut sometime in the off-season. We will let you know when it debuts. My blog, and the blog/site that Vince and I are heading, is not meant to compete with this one, just to serve as another outlet for baseball-starved Sox fans (and Yankees fans for the Red Sox-Yankees site). Hope to see you on this blog, and the aforementioned new blogs!

“I would just like to point out that when I first came to this blog it was getting about 20-40 comments on each thread. Since me and Vik, mainly, started commenting the conversations have increased and some of these posts were in the hundreds.”

Ummm, let’s not confuse the quality of posts with the quantity of posts.

Hello Baseball Fans :
I say that Red Sox fans should beware : 86 more years may pass before you win it all again. I say this because the symptoms of what started the curse are there .You gave up JOHNNY , etc…

Your upstairs guys are not interested on going all the way in order to establish a winnig traditon ( i,e, not spending the moolah ) , like thr trading deadlines issues this year , no$$$ for Johnny , etc… Just wake up to the reality that ownership has forsaken you for NASCAR and will never care if you sit up late pondering why the Yankees have won so much and why Red Sox fans have NOTHING else but the rivalry . You have been forsaken , so do the same and turn your back on your team , just like your silly star MANNY BEIN’ MANNY . Remember , yhere is always space in our HUGE YANKEE BUS , so feel free to hop in with the winningEST team ever . HAPPY DREAMS . SUBWAY SERIES , OH YEAH!!!

Hello Baseball Fans :
I say that Red Sox fans should beware : 86 more years may pass before you win it all again. I say this because the symptoms of what started the curse are there .You gave up JOHNNY , etc…

Your upstairs guys are not interested on going all the way in order to establish a winnig traditon ( i,e, not spending the moolah ) , like the trading deadlines issues this year , no$$$ for Johnny , etc… Just wake up to the reality that ownership has forsaken you for NASCAR and will never care if you sit up late pondering why the Yankees have won so much and why Red Sox fans have NOTHING else but the rivalry . You have been forsaken , so do the same and turn your back on your team , just like your silly star MANNY BEIN’ MANNY . Remember , there is always space in our HUGE YANKEE BUS , so feel free to hop in with the winningEST team ever . HAPPY DREAMS . SUBWAY SERIES , OH YEAH!!!

It’s too bad I had to read sentinel’s comment once, but twice?? I realize that the fat fingers probrably just posted 2x in error, but…
anyway, I’ll need no ticket for your bus, or bandwagon. I’m fine right where I am and where my loyalty lies. Thanks, but, not on your life.. ummm, on that note maybe! lol

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